HAYWARD — An old landfill will be the first in the Bay Area to be converted into a solar farm, with 19,000 panels producing enough energy to power 1,200 homes.

The West Winton Landfill conversion is the centerpiece of the nation’s largest government collaboration to create solar energy, with 19 agencies in Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties pooling resources to build 186 projects. By coming together, the government agencies predict they will spend $100 million less than if the projects were bid separately. The projects will create more than 800 jobs.

“This is about reducing carbon emissions, saving money and growing jobs. It’s a win all over the place,” said Gina McCarthy, head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency during the dedication of the landfill this week — an event attended by several Bay Area government and solar industry representatives.﻿

The 24-acre landfill conversion solar farm will be one of the largest in California.

Led by Alameda County, the Regional Renewable Energy Procurement Project’s 186 sites will generate a total of 31 megawatts, enough energy to power more than 6,000 average-sized Bay Area houses.

The Hayward landfill solar project is expected to save Alameda County more than a half-million dollars in energy costs in its first year. The county estimates it will cut its energy bill by almost $15 million over the landfill panels’ expected 20-year life span.

Alameda County worked with the EPA to find suitable “brown field sites” for solar projects.

“This site was recommended because it is a closed landfill; it doesn’t have an alternative use,” Caroline Judy, Alameda County General Services Agency acting director, said of the Hayward landfill.

SunEdison Government Solutions, of Belmont, is installing solar panels at the majority of the 186 sites, which include community centers, libraries, fire stations, parking structures, business offices, warehouses and dispatch centers.

In addition to cutting carbon emissions and creating jobs, another advantage of solar energy is that it uses almost no water, unlike more traditional methods of generating electricity, said Sam Youneszadeh, of SunEdison.

“Together, we are delivering cost-effective clean energy solutions that are good for both the environment and the local economy,” he said.

Inspired by the success of the regional solar project, the EPA has created the first collaboration among federal agencies to boost renewable energy, with the Forest Service, Department of Energy and General Services Administration joining in. The three are working together to have one contract for solar projects at nine federal buildings in Nevada and California, including ones in San Jose, Menlo Park, San Bruno, San Francisco and Mare Island. The sites are expected to produce up to 5 megawatts of solar power.

The federal government is the largest energy consumer in the nation, with an electricity bill of $5 billion a year for almost 500,000 buildings. President Barack Obama has issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent and increase renewable energy use by at least 30 percent over the next 10 years.

McCarthy is the federal government’s point person in its climate change battle. She also is leading an EPA initiative to transform landfills and other contaminated sites into renewable energy projects.

Work is expected to start later this year or early 2016 on the old Winton landfill, which is capped and covered by 30 to 40 feet of clean fill. The landfill panels will be ground-mounted; most of the other sites are rooftops or parking structures.

The county will not have any upfront costs for the Hayward landfill project. Alameda County will lease the site from the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, which owns it.

In turn, the county will sublease the site to SunEdison, which will pay the cost of installing the photovoltaic panels and sell the energy at a reduced price to the county and flood control district. The power will go into the PG&E electric grid, with the public agencies receiving energy credits at government buildings.

Alameda County modeled its collaboration on a similar, but smaller, program by Joint Venture Silicon Valley. That 2010 project included nine Silicon Valley public agencies and more than 70 solar sites. The 11.4 megawatts of solar power from those projects is expected to save more than $29 million over 20 years.

Rebecca Parr is the city editor for the Oakland Tribune and Hayward Daily Review. She previously covered the Hayward area as a reporter. She has worked in many Bay Area newsrooms and does not miss the commute.

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